A Flower Blooming in the Night
by Restrict
Summary: He turned around and saw a car coming his way. He expected the car to leave him; he didn't expect anyone's sympathy, but the car stopped short. The wind died down and a little sunbeam seeped through the dark clouds ...


A Flower Blooming in the Night  
  
Disclaimer: Really people, if I was the owner of Final Fantasy VIII, Seifer would be all mine BWHAHAHAHA.  
  
This story may seem to have absolutely no plot whatsoever, but I know what I'm doing.  
  
*Seifer's thoughts*  
  
Her name was Kalos. She was loved just as much as her mother. He loved the name Kalos. The child was beautiful as her name suggested. But she only reminded him of his lost and how it was lost. He hated that mistakes were permanent. Time would not turn back any further than it had been. Now he remembered the story of his life.  
  
Þ Five years prior:  
  
Seifer's Story  
  
There was nothing in the entire world that he dreaded more then the name Seifer. Everywhere he went, he heard, heathen, savage, murderer, and on rare occasions poor boy, all in relation to the name. It seemed that everyone spoke of the former Sorceress's knight, even the former sorceress herself, sometimes in the intense context the knight was spoken of. He would never get use to the fact that the sorceress had less pain to deal with, since she had only really killed a despised president, whereas the knight was blamed for the deaths of the Galbadian and Balamb Garden war and the missile attack on Trabia. He couldn't stand hearing the name Seifer anymore then he could stand talk of the knight. After all it was him they were talking of, the one they would whisper about.  
  
He ran a hand through his brown hair as the wind blew at him, almost as if... as if it was trying to keep him out the town he was headed for. It was still a good length away. The sky was dark and the wind became more intense, more colder to the point that he was going to give up. He turned around and saw a car coming his way. It easily swerved around him and headed into the town. He expected the car to leave him; he didn't expect anyone's sympathy, but the car stopped short. The wind died down and a little sunbeam seeped through the dark clouds as the driver exited the car and came towards him. It was a young girl, a familiar girl. The passenger also came out. It was a guy, an also familiar guy. They came towards him. "Hello," the girl said. Her bouncy brown hair reminded him of flower petals. The guy gave a nod of acknowledgement to him. He stood tall and confidently, his golden hair making him look like a corn stalk.  
  
"..." he remained silent.  
  
"Can you talk?" the girl asked coming towards him. She looked at his eyes. "You have nice blue eyes. I'm Selphie!" She extended her hand. He accepted. "My friend here is Zell." The blond rubbed his hand on his pants and offered it as well. It was also accepted. "What's your name?"  
  
"...Ardens." *The burning that destroys a flower.* Zell started becoming preoccupied with the daisies on the field.  
  
"Well, Ardens, we're going into town to meet up with some of our friends. Can we give you a ride? I mean I saw you were headed the same way as us..." He shrugged. "Come on! I like to meet new people! You're new." *Not really.* Selphie giggled. "You're so quiet that you remind me of my friend Squall." That yanked his chain.  
  
"Well, I'm not quiet. I just don't like to talk.." He shrugged carelessly. "But if I meet someone I like, I can talk a lot." Selphie smiled.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Well, what?"  
  
"Do you like me?"  
  
"I don't even know you."  
  
"So? I don't know you, but I like you." *Because it's not like you to hate.*  
  
"..." She grabbed his arm and called to Zell.  
  
"Let's go into town." They all boarded into the car. Seifer... Ardens reluctantly so. As Selphie continued to drive, Zell talked to her about something along the lines of the music some club had.  
  
Ardens looked at the scenery, his thoughts of Selphie. He remembered the days when she was new at the Garden. She had taken control of the Garden Festival and had a difficult time rounding up people to help her. She tried getting Zell and Squall. He remembered the stories of Zell running from her because he was afraid of saying something stupid, since he had a crush on her. He guess the two of them were an item now. He couldn't help but grin. It was always speculation that Selphie would be with Irvine. He never could understand how anyone could stand her cheery personality. She was nowhere near the beauty of Quistis or Rinoa. Her voice would change pitches at time, from nice and soft to annoyingly scratchy. Ardens became so submerged in his thoughts he didn't hear a voice calling his new name.  
  
"Ardens..." A hand shook him to reality. Selphie's grinning face greeted him. "So are you going anywhere in particular Ardens?" He thought about it.  
  
"No."  
  
"Booyaka, you want to come with us then?"  
  
"I..."  
  
"It'll be fun. We're going to clubbing. You can be my date." Zell chuckled. Selphie glared half-heartedly at the blond. "What? I mean everyone's gonna be there with their dates. I don't have one... yet!" She turned to Ardens. "So will you?" The damned emerald eyes bore into him. She wasn't taken.  
  
"I guess so."  
  
"Woohoo!" Selphie raised her hands in the air, temporarily letting go of the steering wheel. The car swerved a bit before she steadies it. *Hyne, save me from this woman.* "Okay, we just have to pick up Zelly's girlfriend." Zell doubled over.  
  
"Stop calling me that", he hissed.  
  
"Why? You let Tsuragy call you Zelly." Selphie's sarcastic tone put a smile on Ardens face. He nearly laughed as Zell launched into a senseless explanation of why on his girlfriend called him that.  
  
Nearly. Zell pouted for a moment and started to punch the air.  
  
"Don't you ever get tired, chicken..." Ardens started.  
  
"What did you just say?" Zell halted mid-punch and turned around. Selphie continue to watch the road content with whatever got her short attention.  
  
"Chicken. Do you like chicken? I like it, but over time I get tired of it."  
  
"Nyah, I don't like chicken that much... I like hotdogs." Zell turned back and slumped into his chair.  
  
The car came to a halt outside a homely house. It looked like a little doll's house compared to Ardens's 1,88 m frame. Selphie turned back to look at him.  
  
"I'll be right back okay?" she said opening her door. "I'm just going to see if Tsuragy needs any help." Ardens shrugged. Zell looked like he was about to cry.  
  
"You're going to leave me with him?" he practically whimpered.  
  
"Ardens is gonna be nice if you don't provoke him." She smiled at them both before shutting her door and running to the house.  
  
"Man, I can't believe she made me stay here with you."  
  
"You don't even know me", Ardens replied.  
  
"Like hell I do. Wait... hold on, I meant to say, hell, I do."  
  
"Oh, really?"  
  
"Look you can fool Selphie, maybe the others, maybe even Squall if he's being tongue whacked by Rinoa, but you can not fool the person you use to bully." Ardens blinked in both surprise and curiosity. The blond shrugged. He pointed to the brown hair and blue eyes Ardens sported. "Whatever made you do that... must be really important." Seifer took in a deep breath. Checking to make sure no one was near by.  
  
"You're not going to tell anyone are you?" Again the blond's shoulder made a shrugging motion. That was good enough. "I just need to remain incognito long enough that hopefully everyone will forget about the... incident." Zell laughed. Seifer scowled. "What's so funny chickenwuss?" The glare made Zell straighten up.  
  
"That you think EVERYONE is going to forget. What I mean is nobody is really going to forget. You're just looking for them to forgive you. And if it makes you feel any better, I forgive you." Before the taller man could make a retort, Zell hasten to add on. "Selphie does too. And the others. Oh, they definitely forgave you. They're all worried that you died or something, just disappearing like that." He shrugged again and slumped deeper into the chair as he motion towards Selphie and a girl with her, undoubtedly Tsuragy, he remembered as the librarian with the pigtail. The two jumped into the car and Selphie automatically started up the car. She smiled at the road, Seifer... Ardens noticed and drove off. Tsuragy talked excitedly and introduced herself easily to Ardens. *She is almost as hyper as Zell* Arden mused They arrived at a club not much later. A few people waved at the car. Seifer remembered them. Squall was at the head of the group. Rinoa was holding his arm possessively. Quistis was blushing as Irvine was whispering something in her ear, but otherwise they didn't seem too serious. Selphie parked the car and immediately jumped out.  
  
"Come on!" she squealed in delight. "I want to introduce you to my friends!" She waited somewhat impatiently as Ardens exited the car. Zell and Tsuragy cuddled all the way to the group. Ardens quietly followed Selphie to the group. She introduced the others one by one and he pretended to be glad to meet them. Quistis immediately put things together.  
  
"Is he your date?" she asked. Selphie shrugged and giggled a bit.  
  
"Nyah, he's just here." The group entered the club with an optimistic air around them. Quistis pulled Ardens aside.  
  
"Will you dance with me?" she whispered despite the loud atmosphere. He nodded as she took his hand and led him to the dance floor. The lights flashed and the music blared from the speakers strategically placed around the club. Selphie sat down with Zell and Tsuragy while Irvine went to flirt with some of the girls. Rinoa and Squall went to get drinks. Ardens took it all in as he danced with Quistis, a bit surprised that she could dance as she did. He believed he was beginning to fall in love with the demurely wild woman in front of him. She had never been lovelier as she was in the flashing lights which reflected off her golden hair in a way that amplified her beauty. His attention was drawn away from her when Zell and Tsuragy came to their sides and started to dance as well. Rinoa and Squall remained at the bar and Irvine within a circle of women. A voice brought him back to Quistis. "Are you having fun?"  
  
"Guess so," he replied to Quistis. She smiled at him.  
  
"Good. It would break Selphie's heart if you didn't have fun." *Selphie.* His attention went back to the annoyingly hyper girl. A very drunk looking man was hovering over her. She rolled her eyes at the man and started to head to the bar. The man did not relent even as Selphie slapped him, none too nicely at that. *That's going to leave a mark.* She continued her struggle by kicking the man in the shins only to pin under his massive weight and large by comparison body. Ardens clenched his fist which was itching for a fight. Selphie continued to push the man away. Irvine was useful for something. The cowboy pulled the drunk man off Selphie and a bouncer took over kicking the man out. Irvine went back to his flirting leaving Selphie alone yet again. She ran over to Rinoa and Squall for a moment and gave them something before putting her jacket back on. Ardens brought his attention back to Quistis as he watched Selphie walk away from the couple.  
  
"That awful man."  
  
"What?" Quistis brought him back from his thoughts.  
  
"That drunk man that was pestering Selphie. It's a good thing Irvine was around. Well, ever since..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Um... you see, Selphie and Irvine used to be really close, dating actually and pretty serious, but well, Selphie didn't give Irvine what he wanted so he sort of left her. She wasn't exactly the happiest person in the world afterwards, but she pretends to be. Poor Selphie. She has no one besides her friends. This is the first time she went out of her room in nearly a month."  
  
"She locked herself in her room?"  
  
"Yeah... she's kind of depressed. And it's more then just Irvine breaking up with her. Life is catching up with the poor girl." He admired Quistis more and more with the woman's every word. Here was a beautiful, caring, smart woman. Their conversation though brought the dancing to a stop. They decided to sit down, except Selphie wasn't at their table. Rinoa and Squall saw the confused duo and decided to join them.  
  
"She left," Rinoa explained. Zell and Tsuragy came over. Rinoa gave Zell some keys. "Selphie said to drive yourselves home."  
  
"Where did she go?" Ardens asked curiously. Squall shrugged.  
  
"Who knows? She could be anywhere. She was very optimistic about upgrading her nunchaku though. She said something about finding some Malboro tentacles and needing some screws."  
  
"Well, as long as she's happy again," Quistis commented. Seifer smiled warmly. He was sure he was falling in love. Sure his heart was racing, but for who?  
  
TBC 


End file.
